We'll Meet Again
by aslMeno
Summary: Due to an attack by Akainu, the Whitebeard Pirate's get separated from Luffy and Ace while escaping Marineford. Unable to reach one another, they agree to meet at the beginning of the New World, promising to reunite once again. But, such promises might be altered, as the Marine's set their sights on hunting down the two brothers. Will they truly meet again?
1. Running

**:note:**

**Elloh! It's aslMeno here with another story! *stares evilly as plot bunnies grow closer***

**I thought up this idea while working on some other stories, and ended up mesmerized by it for the day. **

**Still, I am thinking on whether or not to complete this story, 'cause I wanna see what you guys think of it first. ;D  
**

**Nope, there's no AceLu … or Marco x Ace or I don't know…Ivankov x Whitebeard (Nice image I gave you there. And yes. You're welcome ;D) It's a total non-parings FF. Again. o3o Still, I hope that doesn't put you off o3oxD. It just doesn't fit this story. At all xD.**

**This isn't an intended long FF, and I don't know when I'll update like the others. It depends whether I decide to complete this or not xD. \(.3.)/  
**

**Disclaimer: For the whole story/chapter's, _I DON'T OWN ONE PIECE_. If I did, I'd probably fuck it up so much…o3o xD. But I don't, and that's why One Piece is still around and not that crazy anime that everyone avoids. ;D. So yep. I don't own it.  
**

**(P.S Honestly, they should give me a *bestwriteraward* for the first sentence of this. I mean, it's so detailed and e- Yeah. I'll shut up now.)**

* * *

_Chapter 1 _

* * *

Ace was running.

-_Screw that._ He was_ free._

He was now not expected to simply die on the on the stand like every _bastard _of a Marine was wanting him too. With each step he took, he felt his personal battle against the Marine's dying;but instead, he was felt with the guilt of leaving the others behind.

He was an idiot.

A big-headed, arrogant idiot who willingly threw himself to Blackbeard without thinking things through. Of course thinking hadn't been one of his biggest features, but Ace knew that was no excuse.

Because of him-_because _he ignored his brother's pleas to not go and hunt down Teach, parts of his family were going to die.

And it was because of him.

...Yet. He was _still _running.

"_Ace_!" A voice next to him called out, bringing Ace out of his previous thoughts. Turning his head slightly around, he was met with the distressed face of his brother, his features silently asking him if he was alright. Nodding, Ace re-focused on the path ahead, trying his best to block out the noises of people's screams behind him.

An explosion shook the ground, both brother's immediately recognizing the lava that was being penetrated towards them. It was then that Ace's footing un-conviently stumbled, causing both Luffy and Jimbei to halt in their steps.

"We have to keep moving!" Jimbei yelled out, causing the Commander to push aside the pain in his limbs.

Of course they had to keep moving. If they didn't...-_He didn't even want to think about that. _

Not after Luffy had battled his way here;not after Oyaji and his brother's had risked their lives for his. Nodding once more at both Jimbei and Luffy, they continued on running through the exploding battles.

But of course, it could never be that easy.

"So.." A bellowing voice grumbled from behind, causing all steps of the trio to slow down slightly. "...you think that you can simply free Fire Fist Ace..." Twitching at his name being used, Ace bit down on his lip. Deciding on not slowing down his steps further, he continued on, glad to see that the other two were doing the same. "...and simply retreat to safety? What a bunch of imbeciles you Whitebeard Pirate's are!"

"..." _What?_

Despite Ace's previous words of retreating, Ace halted in his steps, a glare instantly facing the Marine.

_"Ace! We have to keep going!" _Jimbei re-shouted back, though this time, Ace simply ignored it.

Seeing how well Ace responded, the Marine cockily raised the hat off of his head;grinning disgustingly into it's brim. "Well, I suppose it's no surprise." Smirking, he replaced the hat back onto his head, his eyes immediately staring into Ace's. "After all, you have that _man _as your Captain."

Twitching, Ace continued to glare at the man;his steps slowly edging back towards the Marine. Seeing this, Jimbei instantly reacted, grabbing a hold of Ace's shoulder. "_Don't.._" He exclaimed with fury. "...you even think about it!"

Staring at the fish-man with widened eyes, Ace seemed to lower his glare. Swallowing down his words, Ace once again glanced up to Jimbei, grateful for his interruption. "..Right." He whispered to himself, before taking one last look at the Marine.

Taking this as his last chance to piss Ace, the Marine continued on. Though this time, the Marine sent an attack along with it. "_After all, Whitebeard is nothing but a loser from the dead era!_"

Turning instantly towards the Marine, Ace clenched his fists.

Thanks to that little comment, it wasn't only his instincts screaming at him to go back, but his _mind_ as well.

_...Kill him. _

That was all that shouted out to him. The _bastard _had not only harmed Luffy, but this? He couldn't just run now-_he_ was fed up of running.

Not being distracted by same thoughts Ace was hearing, Luffy timidly saw how Akainu prepared his attack towards his brother. Leaving Jimbei's side for a split of a second;Luffy lepted towards Ace, throwing both of them out onto the other side of Akainu's attack. "_ACE! _WATCH OUT!"

Feeling the air push him onto the floor below, Ace instantly turned towards the source of the 'attack'. Surprised by the 'attacker', he raised his eyebrow, suddenly forgetting the previous moments. However, he didn't have time to ask his brother what he was doing, for an explosion shattered meters away from them.

Reacting instantly, Ace shielded his eyes. "_S-Shit_!" Taking Luffy under his arm, they both ducked;_tensing _as they heard the ground below them start to crack.

"T-The floor-!" Luffy yelled at him, before they both found themselves once again-_running._

Gritting his teeth and fingers together, both Ace and Luffy instantly directed themselves towards safer ground.

However, just as they were reaching the tips of the Marineford's ground, Ace heard another shatter. And this time, it came from below.

Watching as an oblivious Luffy continued to run forward, Ace started to slow down in his steps. His eyes started to shadows slightly, watching as inches of floor raised from the ground. Looking once more up to where his brother was running, Ace closed his eyes.

He was never been one to give up so easily. Though if it meant Luffy was able to get away...

...-_than _maybe it would be worth it.

Feeling the last of the cracks below crumble, Ace instantly felt the acts of gravity pull him down;wincing as he felt no ground below. Hearing distant people scream out his name, Ace just seemingly leaned back;knowing there was no way he could get himself out of his situation.

It looked like he _was _meant to die today, in this Marine Base.

Opening his eyes for the last time, Ace simply stared at the sky above.-_That was_ _until_ it was blocked by the sight of an extended hand reaching down to him.

Reacting on instincts, Ace instantly reached out to it;gulping as he immediately knew whose hand it was. "_Lu..._" He whispered out, before being flicked across a mile of concrete;landing harshly onto the said person.

Luffy immediately reacted, throwing his arms around the others. Sinking his face into Ace's shoulder;Luffy dug his nails into his brother's back, glancing back up to Ace.

Feeling Luffy's stare, Ace looked back to him;his eyes suddenly filling up with regret as he saw his younger brother's face. "Shit, Lu. I'm sorry-"

Before he had time to finish his sentence, another explosion hit near them;this time forming a gigantic crack placed some-meters away from them. Glancing up to where the crack was formed from, Ace twitched.

From the eyes that were previously filled with guilt, they were now filled with blood-spilling hatred. Whispering out a mixture of words under his breath, Ace glared towards the man, clenching his fists as he saw the smirk he was sending them.

"You won't escape here you know. Both of you have the blood of demons, and for that...I have no other choice than to_ erase you._" Akainu hissed out, causing Luffy to as well glare towards him.

"Ace, my boy." Suddenly, another sound hit the tense air. Though this time, as Ace looked towards him;all he could feel was regret.

On the other side of the crack stood Whitebeard and his Commander's, all their eyes simply locked onto the two brothers. All seemed to still be itching for a fight, though that could be quickly explained as half of the eyes were glaring at the Marine.

With the air growing stiff, Whitebeard continued on, Ace having no choice but to simply listen. "You have to get out of here. It is an order that you'll escape from this place with your brother, and leave us to deal with that _man _over there." He simply stated, causing Ace's mouth to fall agape.

"Y-You can't expect me to do that!" He shouted back, tensing as he saw no recognition of Whitebeard changing his mind. Finding no other choice than to stare towards Marco for some back-up, he shivered as he saw Marco give him the same look as his father.

"Rest assured, we'll meet again at the start of the New World." Whitebeard once again proclaimed, leaving the stiff air to finally disappear;the sounds of fighting resuming in all ears.

Gripping Luffy in his arms, Ace knelled there silent;not a word or breath leaving his mouth. Glancing down to his brother, his eyes started narrowed. Luffy was exhausted. Even if he wasn't trained in medical assistance's, he knew that Luffy needed to be out of here...if _not_-.

"_Damn it!_" Swallowing down all the words he wanted to shout at Akainu, Whitebeard...-_Garp even_, Ace took off with Luffy in his arms, not giving himself a chance to look back towards his father.

"Let's get the hell out of here, Luffy."

* * *

**Taa-daa~!**

**Yup. It's a story of what _might _have happened if Ace wasn't a total idiot and didn't turn back to face Akainu just because of an insult =3=. **

**Yes...I know that he had that thing where he couldn't turn away, but that doesn't mean I still don't find it idiotic. **

**BUT, I still love Ace. Idiot or not. **

**Conclusion= Ace is an idiot.**

**_And _sorry 'bout the depressing-ness of this chapter.  
**

**Didja' see how I used 'We'll meet again'? DIDJA'?!  
**

***tumbleweed once again tumbles by***

**...Oh.**

**Surprisingly, I did have fun writing this-_which _is a lot more I can say about some other chapter's. (Despite how depressing this chapter actually is o3o xD.)  
**

**And despite what I said above, I do have a _ever-so-slight _plan of the ending of this story...but as I said. It's hazy.  
**

**You see why I called this Chapter 'Running?'. They're always-freaking-running.**

**ALSO!-Did you like the length? Or do you think they should be longer? o3o. *Ilikeitshortandsweetbut-* I don't know xD. I kinda' planned to do this at the last minute. Hence why some words make _no _sense at all.  
**

**ANYWAYS... I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Hopefully, there might be another chapter of this out! xDD.**

** Lets just hope I'm not lazy. **

**Ha.  
**

**That's all folks...  
**

**-aslMeno**


	2. Waking

**:note:**

**Woah, guys. I wasn't expecting this feedback, but you've won me over. 30 follows for that one 'lil chapter? Well, I'm easily pleased xD**

**-But for a story I thought would be ignored...Thanks for your lovely comments! \(;3;)/ *que cheesy romance music***

**I couldn't leave you guys without an update, so here it is! I hope you enjoy, and yet again...Thanks for the feedback! **

**(P.S Don't _ever _go camping in the winter. It's suicidally cold. o3o I mean honestly, I cannot understand how people find it 'fun'. Especially when you run out of food and warmth, and you're stuck in the middle of a zoo. Good times.)**

* * *

_Chapter 2_

* * *

Luffy didn't know what to expect when he woke up. The last few moments he remembers were now all blurred;hidden by the excruciating pain that trembled down his veins.

The first memory that came to him however wasn't pretty.

"ACE!" Luffy shouted out with fear, his body shooting up instantly as the image of Akainu coming towards him and his brother glued to mind. Holding out a shaken hand, Luffy winced;bringing the hand over his chest. Feeling an un-familiar material against his skin, Luffy hesitantly glanced down, only to be met with reasonably positioned bandages. Narrowing his eyebrows, Luffy quickly looked back up; immediately noting that he was no longer on the grounds of Marineford;and instead in a cramped cabin, most likely on a ship.

Seeing that he was the only one inside the cabin, Luffy's fears came back. Clenching the _bed sheets?_- in his hand, Luffy called out once more, though this time…it was more pleading.

"A-Ace?"

Hearing only silence drown the cramped cabin, Luffy took it in his own hands to go and find his brother. Flinging his feet over the side of the bed, the teen was once again met with the unbearable pain etching from his chest. Instinctively throwing his palm over his chest, Luffy bit his lip, continuing to drag himself off the bed and stagger over to the half-hinged door at the end of the room.

Pushing the door lightly open, Luffy prepared to wince;but was only met with the midnight sky. Blinking, Luffy took this as a chance to 'sneak' around the ship he had found himself on, though was surprised to find it completely deserted. Edgily shutting the door behind him carefully with one hand, Luffy stumbled on;his palm still over his constant panging chest. Gritting his teeth, he hesitantly went around the first corner, his heart-beat quickening as he saw no-one to be in the room.

Feeling his chest grow heavier, Luffy leaned against the 'abandoned' room's door, his breathes starting becoming shorter and frightingly quicker. Swallowing down the pain, Luffy trudged on, pushing a different door open to lead him to what seemed to be the ship's deck. Letting out a rasp cough, the straw-hatted teen was hit with the sea's fresh air;his raven hair dancing along with the wind echoing from the ocean. Scanning the area, Luffy let out a defeated sigh, collapsing on the ground with a yelp. Bringing both hands over his chest, black dots invaded his vision, his eyelids slowly creeping their way over his pupils.

"D-Damn it…" He grumbled out, unable to keep his eyes open. Twitching at the cold air hitting his skin, Luffy's lip started to tremble. Swallowing down the tears which were begging to fall, Luffy edgily brought his knee's to his chin;his head lowering towards the floor.

Just as he began to lose consciousness again, Luffy swore he heard a yell come from inside the ship;causing him to fling his eyes open and once again scan the area.

"L-ffy?!"

There it was again.

There was no mistake about it;someone else was here on this ship.

Instantly getting to his feet, Luffy frantically looked everywhere, his dry throat yelling out to the other voice pleadingly. "W-Who's there?"

Hearing a deafening crash echo from the previous room he was in, Luffy jumped;his eyes darting aimlessly everywhere as he timidly got into his fighting posture.

Though that position immediately deflated, for a familiar figure flung from the door;a similar worried look streaking through his pupils.

"A-Ace?" Luffy once again asked, though this time was replied with an relieved nod from the said person;Ace's eyes fading from the previous worry he wore.

"Your awake..." Ace barely mumbled out, letting out all the breathes he had seemed to be keeping in. Stumbling forward, Ace tried his best to catch himself, before swerving to the side and collapsing near the wooden frame.

Ignoring his pride and pain, Luffy instantly rushed over to where his brother lay;flinging his arms around him with a cry of relief. "I-I thought that...I thought that you had died!" He mumbled out, though his words were mushed due to Ace's chest.

Hearing these words, Ace's eyes softened;his own arms wrapping around his brother's as well. Letting the younger cry into his neck, Ace gripped Luffy's bandages;trying his best not to cry along with his brother.

Silent, Luffy winced at the pain stabbing his chest;seemingly noting Ace of something.

Clenching his fists, Ace looked down onto the floorboard's below;his pupils starting to glaze over. "You idiot! What were you thinking of running into a _war _like that! You could have been seriously injured!"

Lifting his head up, Luffy wiped his tear's away with a grin;the previous trembling and fright instantly disappearing and turning into his signature feature. "But I wasn't. I wasn't going to die there Ace." Closing his eyes to give Ace to biggest grin he could manage, Luffy giggled slightly, causing Ace to simply stare at the boy with surprise─_and happiness_.

Ace once again brought Luffy closer, leaving only the waves sound the silence on-board the deck. "You're right. I won't let you get hurt because of me again."

Biting down on his lip, Luffy sensed the regret in his brother's voice. "It was my fault, I decided to come and get you." He bluntly stated, causing Ace to jump out of his thoughts.

"But if I hadn't gotten caught in the first place..." Ace gritted his teeth, his nails digging into the floorboards below.

Pouting, Luffy looked Ace directly in the eye;before a saddened smile grew on his lips. "Then Blackbeard would have come after me."

Not expecting his brother to declare the true statement, Ace raised his pupils in surprise at the younger;his mouth slightly agape. "How did you─"

Luffy glanced down;his pupils shadowing over as his tone deepened. "I met Teach in Impel Down. He told me what you did and─"

Instantly grabbing the shoulder of the younger, Ace narrowed his eyes towards his brother. With his pupils glazed over, Ace glanced apologetically at Luffy;a frown slowly dragging down his lip. "Just forget about that Lu. It was my own stupid decision and it's in no way your fault."

Though honestly, Ace didn't think what he did was _stupid _or _idiotic_ at all;if he was given the chance again he would still go through with it in a heartbeat.

Luffy easily saw through this though, and sent Ace a peaceful grin;making the said Commander raise an eyebrow. "And I decided to go and save you."

Unable to say a word, Ace stared at Luffy with widened eyes;his mouth still slightly agape. Suddenly, a bellowing laugh fell from his mouth, making Luffy grin even wider. Wiping the tears that were forming under his eyes away, Ace grinned back at Luffy, before letting out a deep sigh.

"I guess we're both just stupid then."

* * *

A blacked out figure approached the looming Admiral, hesitantly handing him a folded newspaper.

"Is it true what they're saying, did you really let them get away?" The figure asked, causing the Admiral to instantly twitch and face away.

"I didn't just _let _them go away. I was only focusing on catching the two brothers; I never intended a fight with Whitebeard." The Admiral replied, brushing the debris hanging off his uniform onto the floor.

Smirking at the Admiral's reply, the figure nodded;he too looking down at his own uniform. "_Oh_? That wouldn't be just an excuse, would it now A-kai-nu?" Spelling out the word slowly, the figure's smirk grew wider as he saw the Admiral glare towards him, answering the question immediately.

"I won't let them get away this time. I am to instantly retrieve both brother's and give them a fitting execution. That is all." Akainu responded, his face brief of emotion. Turning towards the ship which was currently being loaded, Akainu briefly looked back towards the figure;his eyebrow raising _ever-so-slightly_. "Are you coming, Kizaru?"

Letting out a swoon, Kizaru turned away from the questioning Admiral, flinging his own hand into the air. "Not today. I have a lot more better things to contend with."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Akainu glanced down to the paper he still had in hand;his finger's clenching the side's as he read the headline.

'**_MARINE'S LOSE WAR─GOL D. ACE AND WHITEBEARD ESCAPE_**'

* * *

**_So_****, that might be a relief to people who were worried about Whitebeard and if or if not he escaped alive. :'3 You don't actually think I would ever kill of Whitebeard do you? **

**Ha. **

**And no. No AceLu. Don't expect anything to happen between the two o3o.  
**

**Ugh. Akainu. Do I need to say more? **

***COUGH* Anyways. Replies to reviews!**

**-FlightWulf: ;3; I'm glad to hear you love it! And congrats!You're my first reviewer! *throws confetti over you* Ugh D: THE BUNNIES. Honestly, If I published every idea I had, I _would _have about 30 by the end of the year. BUT I AM FOCUSED..._-ish._ xD. I personally think I update most of my stories regularly, so having this one by the side isn't that threatening. :'3 I have continued! So I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**-Blueh: xDD. Yup, he made it out ;3;. *whydidn'theinthemangaFFSODAxD* They're lovable idiots ;3; And always will be ;D. I HAVE UPDATED SO DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD YET. Kay? ;3 I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**-ichigo1508: I'm glad it did! I hope you enjoyed this chapter s'well! **

**-HarukiCSP: I'm happy you liked it!I have updated this earlier than expected s'well, so I hope you enjoyed it! **

**-Magic Morgana: Whoop xD! I'm glad it sounds interesting to some people, means that somehow...the story made sense o3o. I know ;3;, but he could have protected his home _alive_...not running back and fighting a dickhead ;3; *ohgodfeelsgoaway* He made it! YAY ;3; I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**-Nugni: Thanks!I didn't know if it would work or not, but something seems to have xD. Here's the next update, I hope you enjoy it! :'3**

**-Cbatologin: I have updated! I hope you enjoyed this update! ;D**

**-damichan: Thanks! And yes. xDD. Ace is an idiot. I have updated! o3o *throws confetti in air* I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**-Ireadtomuch: Yup ;3; It would have saved the One Piece fandom a _shit _load of tears if he didn't do what he did. *evilly looks towards Oda* But he'll live on through FF ;3;! I'm glad you find it exciting! This chapter wasn't so much on the 'excitement/action' side, but I hope you still enjoyed it!**

**-Mister8pyromane: I have updated! Muahahaahha ;D. I hope you have enjoyed the chapter! **

**-Trich: Thanks! :'3 And I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it =3= ;3; I hope you have enjoyed this chapter!**

***collapses* **

**Thanks again for all the amazing feed-back ;D.**

**That's all folks ;3**

**-aslMeno**


	3. Recovering

**:note:**

**(P.S This is chapter THREE. I say this 'cause last time I updated, I mucked up slightly, and re-uploaded chapter 1. Sorry xD)**

**So you know how I said I would update a lot in the next couple of weeks?**

_**Well**_**.**

**My social life came and grabbed me, refusing for me to write here for a few weeks. **

**So that's the reason this is late xD. But I will update regularly from now on. Promise. xD.**

**And I found this fun to write, so I hope you found to fun to read xD! *que cheesy mu-Shh;D***

**SO ONTO ZE CHAPTER! \(.3.)/**

**UPDATE: 18/4/14-_Just _correcting the mistakes I did. xD.-Thanks guys for pointing it out! ._. Ugh. I can be a klutz. **

**(P.P.S That moment when people decide to have a party next door. At 3 in the morning. Then come crashing into your garden..._Yaaaay_.)**

* * *

_Chapter 3_

* * *

Ace never thought he would see it again─the beauty of the sea when the sun rose.

Not that he would ever say that out loud though, he would never admit to be taken back by such trivial things. _Though _it wasn't as trivial anymore, seeing that he never thought he would even get to glance at the blue skies above again.

Little things like that made Ace wonder if what he had experienced actually happened.

Glancing over to where his brother was sleeping;Ace peacefully smiled, shunning away the previous events from his mind. It had been a week since the brother's escaped from Marineford, though to Ace, it had felt like a century.

It wasn't long after _that man _helped them find a ship that Ace realized something was wrong with Luffy;that he was extremely more injured than he showed. The first major sign was when Luffy didn't wake up for two days, despite how much Ace tried to wake him from his sleep. The other signs were just as worrying, for after spotting the red-line seeping through his brother's clothing, Ace discovered the injuries that laid beneath.

To say that they looked life-threatening would have been an under-statement. It was frightening for Ace to even see his brother in such a state;not when he knew he was the reason behind it.

He was supposed to _protect _his little brother, not scar him.

With the little knowledge he had, Ace had tried his best to fix his brother up as much as he could, but still;Luffy stayed asleep.

There were times when Ace swore he heard Luffy mumbling in his sleep, but without those times;Luffy seemed like a barely-breathing corpse.

The nights Ace had spent screaming at the sea for someone to come along and help was endless, though each time, no-one came.

The ship he was on himself was completely abandoned, not even bearing the pirate's flag it previously belonged to. It was simply just a ship that he had managed to find in the wrecks from Marineford, and it surprised him it was even still sailing.

Letting out a deep sigh, Ace ignored the state the ship was in for now;and instead walked up to Luffy, settling beside him with his head resting on the rail.

With a soft snore escaping from his mouth, Luffy unconsciously lent onto Ace, surprising the fire-thrower from his thoughts.

Seeing this, Ace felt a small smile creep onto his lips, closing his eyes as a the welcoming breeze to brushed past his face. Sitting there in silence with his brother, Ace felt himself nod off;his mind wiped from the depressing and dark thoughts from the previous days.

* * *

"Hey, Ace?"

Turning around to face his questioning brother, Ace raised his eyebrow. Pacing up to where his brother was peering over the rail, Ace was met with the unusual thoughtful face placed on Luffy, his eyes scanning the water below. "What is it?"

Taking his eyes away from the water below, Luffy also faced Ace;his eyebrow's scrunching slightly. "...Do you know where we are?"

Instinctively twitching at the question, Ace awkwardly stared at his brother with widened eyes;his pupils too looking down onto the water below. "Uh.."

"Ace?"

_...Crap. _It wasn't the first thing that had been on Ace's things to check over the last week-_instead _just hoping that the waves would bring them along to the nearest island. But now that he thought about it, shouldn't they have gotten to an island days ago?

Waving his hand in front of the freckled man's face, Luffy pouted;his eyes blinking obliviously. "Hey! Ace!"

Blinking, Ace turned to Luffy his eyes blank. "Well..." He started, looking into the wide eyes of his brother. Giving off a smirk, the fire-thrower placed both his arms of his hips, a cheerful tone echoing from his voice. "We're on an _Adventure._"

His eyebrow raising at the word 'Adventure', Luffy grinned back at his brother, his tone blunt. "So you don't know where we are."

Not letting his smirk falter, Ace let out a small chuckle. "Nope!"

Feeling his grin fall, Luffy's pout returned to his face;his eyes trailing down to the sea beside him. "Oh..."

Noticing his brother's sudden dim expression, Ace frowned, letting his arms fall from his hip. "We'll find our way Lu, don't worry."

Ushering out a small 'hmph', the teen leaned his chin onto the rail;instinctively reaching out to his hat. "If you say so."

"You don't believe me?" Ace let out with a little amusement, confused as to why Luffy seemed so reluctant.

Glancing over to the fire-thrower, Luffy's eyebrow raised;before shaking his head. "N-No. It's not that. I'm just..." Feeling his voice falter, the teen scrunched up closer to the side. Deciding he didn't want to speak more than needed, Luffy turned fully towards Ace;slightly comforted by his presence. "...My crew. I'm worried about them."

Realization hitting Ace instantly, the said fire-thrower's eyes immediately softened;understanding his little brother's concern. Putting on his most reassuring grin, Ace leaned his hand onto Luffy's shoulder, their eyes meeting.

"I'm sure they'll be alright. After all, it's your crew isn't it? They must be tough to follow such an crybaby like you."

Lifting his hand up to his cheek, Luffy's pupils widened slightly when he realized his eyes were watery. Remembering his brother's words, he instantly shook his head away, returning his eyes to Ace's. "I'm not a crybaby!"

Ace let out a small chuckle, sending the teen yet another smirk. "_Sure_."

Not sensing his brother teasing him, Luffy pouted;crossing his arms over each other as he continued to mumble to himself, before a sound echoed above him.

"Huh?" The teen asked with oblivious eyes, watching as the object from above fell down to him. Side-stepping out of the way, Luffy stared at the _newspaper-_? which was recently dropped;tilting his head to read the headline.

Running beside Luffy, Ace raised his eyebrow, leaning down to pick up the paper. A few seconds passed before a terrified sound uttered from Ace's lips, his eyes comically widened.

Stumbling behind his brother to see the headline, Luffy peered over Ace's shoulder.

"...Eh?"

"..._EH?!_"

* * *

Robin was scared.

─Something the known archeologist was known to _not _be in a lot.

She had seen it;the headlines, the images..._the _countless Marine witnesses of how _her _Captain had ran into the midst of war to save his brother.

She _should _have been there. All of them should have;but they were all clueless. Oblivious to the events their Captain was experiencing.

And now they all just stood there, silent as they re-grouped on the anchored Thousand Sunny.

Robin was one of the last to appear onto the ship, greeted with a saddened hug from Nami and countless faces filled with regret.

Even Sanji, someone who had never looked so distant in front of any 'ladies' was quiet, leaving the whole crew with the shuddering thought of the absence of their Captain.

Finally, Zoro was the first to fully speak;causing all heads and pupils to turn to him. "So everyone knows, correct? That Luffy was involved in the battle at Marineford a week ago."

Feeling her stomach turn, Robin hesitantly nodded;followed by a _fat?-_Usopp who also looked close to tears.

"B-But I don't understand." Chopper spoke up, his tone slightly wobbling. "Where is he now? If he escaped then, why isn't he her-"

Not liking the direction the small reindeer's thoughts were going, Robin interrupted;trying to sound as confident as she could. "─Luffy would of escaped. After all, I doubt the Goverment would hide the fact that they killed..." Inwardly gulping at saying her Captain's name, Robin took a slight breath;his eyes glancing to the floor. "..._Dragon's son_. Seeing as we have heard nothing about it, I can definitely assume that Luffy made it out."

"That idiot!" A angered shout instantly echoed the dimmed ship after Robin's word, catching the attention of the crew. Seeing their familiar navigator shaking, Robin silently sighed;not wanting to see her Nakama as upset as they were.

"Why didn't he just wait for us before running into a war like that!" Clenching her fists, Nami raised her head;tears forming in her eyes.

Walking over to the mast, Brook sat down with a _clunk_;crossing his feet over as he stared toward the floor. "I don't think we would have done much good, Nami-san."

Her lip wobbling, the navigator tried her best to keep her tears in;though her tone told different. "B-But still! We're his crew! Why did we leave it to him to idiotically save his brother by himself?! Where...Where were we when he _needed us?! _For all we know, he could be anywhere right now!─In any condition. He could even be dead right n-"

_"Will you shut it_?" A sudden irritated tone hit the air, causing the navigator to flinch.

Gritting his teeth towards the person, Sanji narrowed his eyes. "Oi, don't you dare speak to Nami-san like that, you bastard."

The said person glared back, before shutting his eyes. "We cant do anything about it now, so why don't we try and stop moping around about it and actually find our Captain."

His glare faltering slightly, Sanji turned away;lighting a cigarette in hand.

Nami continued to stare with slightly widened eyes, before nodding;blinking the tears away.

Silently agreeing with his fairly obvious plan, Robin looked towards the man;her head tilting slightly. "So what do you purpose we do, _swordsman-san_?"

Looking back towards Robin, Zoro 'hmph-ed', before scanning the crew. "We should go and find someone who was near Luffy at the time─See if they know anything about where he is right now."

Hearing the agreed grumbles of the crew, Robin felt a small reassurance settle in her, before a sound echoed above her. "Hmm?"

Watching as a familiar object fell from the sky, the said archeologist raised an eyebrow;slowly leaning down to pick up the item.

Noticing her movement's, Franky looked towards her;his own eyebrows raising. "Hey, Robin. What have you got there?"

Immediately everyone looked towards Robin;surprised by the sudden widened eyes she wore. Stumbling over to where she stood, the whole crew's eyes were stuck to the paper she had in hand.

Scanning the words, her agape mouth slowly turned into a smile;her tone determined. "Well, it looks like we better find Captain-san quick then."

_**MONKEY D. LUFFY 450,000,000**_

_**GOL D. ACE 700,000,000**_

_**WANTED ALIVE AT ALL COSTS**_

* * *

**I was stuck on whether to bring in the Straw-hats on this chapter, but figured they seemed to fit in well there. **

**So, did you enjoy this chapter? I know it's been a while since I last updated, but hopefully this made up for it! :'3  
**

**And a huge _thanks _to all the people that reviewed! I have replied in the PM (I KNOW. THE SHOCK) but I most probably wont be able to reply there each week. **

**This is like a one off thing. **

**A LITTLE BIT OF ACELU WAS THERE. IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL, BUT I WENT WITH IT. And nah. I didn't make Luffy cry. I'm not that much of a Sadist. xD.  
**

**A week has passed since Marineford-You 'gotta love confusing time skips. ;D. _A lot _has happened during that week (unbeknown to the brothers), and more on that in the following chapter's ;3.**

**And 'cause I know someone will bring it up the bounties, here's my reason xD:**

**Before you kill me with _"ACE'S IS TOO HIGH WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" _or _"lel...wa_s_n't expecting high bountay. :(__" _I have a reason. Think about it, the Pirate King's son has just _escaped_ from his own execution in the midst of Marineford, and they will do pretty much _anything_ get him back. Even if it's a high bounty. Remember, it is a week after Marineford, and the Marine's are pissed. (Though, to be honest, I think 700,000,000 is reasonable─This is presuming Ace had a bounty of 550,000,000.) Luffy's has gone up an extra 50,000,000 because he was also able to escape 'kinda' unharmed. The Marine's would be embarrassed by this, and would want to catch him more than in the canon, 'cause in the canon, many people thought Luffy was already dead due to Akainu's attack.  
**

**If Ace's bounty gets lower or higher further on in this story is a secret though. 'Cause I'm mean like that ;D.**

**So please leave a review on how you think this chapter was, or just simply favorite or follow or...I dont know. ;D. **

**I appreciate _any_ type of feedback, and seeing your amazing comments makes my day ;3;**

**That's all folks ;3**

**-aslMeno**


	4. Accepting

**:note:**

**Kay. So you know how I said the next chapter would be Wish? **

**...I lied.  
**

**I felt like updating this one, so here it is!**

**OH MY. I made so many mistakes in the last chapter. Whoops, sorry xD. But I have fixed them, so once again, halt your chainsaws.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**(P.S OH GOD. The plot bunnies I am getting attacked with-Like seriously mind. Can you not just focus on the ones you already have published?! *suddenly gets new idea* FFS.)**

******(P.P.S There is going to be a _short _hiatus on all my stories. I'm going to update all of them in the next week, but after that, they wont be updated for another month. Sorry guys!-Being ill does _not _have it perks.)**

* * *

_Chapter 4_

* * *

The once prideful battlefield lay in pieces around the Marine, his fists clenched and face hanging low.

"You did the right thing Garp, despite what you might think."

Raising one of his hands up to his face, Garp skimmed his fingers through his hair; his eyes slowly making their way to the other. "And how could you know that?"

The elder leaned next to the man, flinging a hat off his head and letting out a sigh. "Because thanks to you, those two pirate's escaped."

Flinching, Garp continued to look away from the other; his eyes glazed over. "So you knew about that."

"Of course I do Garp. I knew you would do something irresponsible from the moment I found out that Portgas was your adopted Grandson. I was just waiting to find out what it was you had done."

Slowly lifting his head, the scarred man looked up into the sky; his eyes narrowing slightly. "Just give it to me Sengoku. How long?"

Raising his eyebrows, Sengoku glanced to the other. "How long for what?"

Standing up from the ground, Garp instantly hit the shattered wall beside him; his tone completely changed from a few seconds ago. "You know _exactly _what I mean. How long until you ship me off to that Impel Down of yours?"

Silent, Sengoku continued to stare; letting out a small hum. Irritated, Garp let out another shout, staggering instantly towards the Fleet Admiral.

"For heaven's sake Sen!-Just tell me now so we can get it over and done with-!"

Quickly interrupting the raging Marine, Sengoku let out another sigh; focusing his eyes onto the working Marine's in front of him. "Tell me Garp. How long has it been since we decided to become Marine's?"

Lowering his stance, Garp raised an eyebrow; confusion uttering his features. "..._What?_"

Chuckling slightly under his breath, Sengoku smiled weakly. "We've forgotten since then." He continued, his eyes still focused on the damaged battlefield. "What 'justice' really is."

Narrowing his eyes weakly, Garp nodded; before tilting his head slightly. "You're the Fleet Admiral. You can control what the means of 'justice' is if you really want to."

"You're correct." Simply replying, the Admiral leaned further back onto the wall; before glancing towards Garp. "And that is why I'm going to retire."

Not expecting the statement, Garp's pupils widened slightly, before they returned to a weak glare. "What has this got to do with my punishment, Sen?"

Letting out a deep breath, Sengoku raised from the floor; brushing his uniform off before looking Garp directly in the eyes. "I saw what you did, _Fist_. You lowered your defenses when that Grandson of yours came towards you. Because of you, Straw-hat was able to free Portgas." Garp instantly twitched at his nickname, before somberly nodding; unable to make any excuse for his actions. "However, tell me." Sengoku continued, his eyes slightly narrowing. "Does locking away your friend because they didn't help in the deaths of his two Grandsons seem like a justifiable thing to do?"

Blinking, Garp's mouth went agape; failing at saying any words. "I..-"

"Because even though you knew the consequences, you did it anyway. Even if it went against my orders."

"-You.."

Turning away from Garp, the Fleet Admiral scowled; his eyes glazing over slightly. "There _are _scum on the sea; Pirate's that need to be wiped out. But has it gotten that bad that we need to kill the kin of Roger to get our point across?" Interrupting the others words, Sengoku looked back to Garp, sternly peering at him.

Blinking with slight disbelief, Garp nodded hesitantly, before letting out a bellowing laugh. "You know, you could have said that before you decided to execute my Grandson, Senny."

Smiling weakly, Sengoku chuckled; letting out a sigh. "I have no excuse; countless men were slaughtered, and yet here we are. Both Whitebeard and Portgas have escaped, along with half of the prisoners we had kept in Impel Down."

"So, what are we to do now?" Garp asked expectedly, slightly cautious of the reply.

"As I said before Garp, I am to retire. As for you, you can continue on as a Marine, or join me in retirement. Though honestly, I don't think I'll be able to enjoy it for as long as I would want."

Stumbling forwards, the Marine gripped the edges of the Fleet Admirals cloak; shaking slightly. "Sen-_Don't._ I know what you're thinking, and if it is found out then-"

"-Then I'll be hunted like the rest of the pirate scum we've been hunting." Letting out a small hum, Sengoku continued to smile weakly. "Ironic really, don't you think?."

With the cloth slowly falling from Garp's fingers, the man scowled; looking back up to Sengoku's eyes. "...Where are they?"

"Akainu's group is stationed near Sabaody Archipelago. Multiple officers proclaimed that that's where Whitebeard had said to meet, so that's his best shot."

Nodding, Garp patted Sengoku on the shoulder, before turning away. "I won't forget this Sen." Letting out a small chuckle, Garp continued walking; his back facing Sengoku's. "If we ever meet again, I'll be sure to have your favorite Sake ready."

Smirking, Sengoku nodded; slowly making his way over to the shattered wall and weakly picking his hat up.

"_Goodbye, Garp._"

* * *

Ten days.

It had been _ten days _since they had escaped from Marineford, and Ace and Luffy were still nowhere near any islands.

Ace twitched slightly, hearing the distant snores escaping from his nearby brother; his eyes narrowing.

Watching the teen take in deep breaths, Luffy slowly let out a cry; causing for the fire-thrower to instantly run to his side. "Lu?-_Shit! _What the hel-?"

As soon as Ace shouted out, Luffy jumped up from the cover's; his breaths suddenly short and timid. "W-What!?"

His eyes widened, Ace hesitantly pointed to Luffy chest; lightly grabbing the teen's shoulder. Letting out a small whisper, Ace inwardly shivered. "Luffy, you have to rest-Your chest is..._fuck_, Lu; how the hell did you get that?!"

Flinching at the sudden pain cursing across his chest, Luffy squirmed; letting out a small mumble. "-It's noth..ing."

"Nothing?! Luffy, your chest is practically wide open!...If we don't do somet-" Ace started, his tone startled.

"I told you Ace..., it's nothing. It'll...it will heal." Luffy interrupted, his eyes glazed over. Letting out a small cough, the teen swayed; his words tumbling over each other. "I just...-wanna' sleep right now."

"Fuck that!" Ace instantly shouted out, panic crossing his features. "You listen to me now Lu, don't fall asleep!-Wait just here...I'll...-" His voice faltering, the fire-thrower swallowed; glancing around the cabin. Spotting the nearby water source, Ace lept from where he was kneeling, picking up the bucket and ripping off the edge of his shorts.

His eyes drooping, Luffy yawned; instantly twitching as a cold pressure was held against his burnt chest. Letting out a small hiss, the teen immediately latched his hand onto Ace's shoulder, tears starting to form in his eyes.

Seeing this, Ace clenched his teeth together; his eyebrows narrowed.

He didn't want his brother to witness this pain awake.

So _maybe_ if he slept he wouldn't be in this pain?

-_But then_...

"Damn it!" Ace accidentally let out to himself, alerting the teen next to him.

This shouldn't be happening.

His brother _shouldn't _be in this pain.

It was all his fault.

_If he hadn't been born then, maybe Luffy would have never_-

"Ace!" A shout interrupted the fire-thrower's thought, his own eyes widening as he saw the concerned look on his brother's face. "Ace..." The disorientated teen spoke out again, his voice faltering slightly. Shakily putting his hand over his chest, Luffy twitched; the pain returning.

Inwardly gulping at the sight of the opened chest, Ace swallowed; trying hard to focus on cleaning the previously healed wound. "It's alright Lu. Shh-_It's fine_. You can sleep now." The fire-thrower barely stated out, his voice weak and wobbled.

He couldn't, no _wouldn't _waste this time feeling sorry for himself.

Briefly glancing to the teen's now relaxed face, Ace continued on cleaning the wound.

Not when his brother needed him.

* * *

Trafalgar Law was _disappointed_.

He had arrived at Marineford expecting to witness a memorial death; just like he had predicted.

But instead, he was left body-less.

He had stayed long enough to hear that Straw-hat and his brother had instantly disappeared after their run in with Akainu, leaving Law feel even more disappointed that he wasn't there to personally witness it.

After-all, he suspects that Straw-hat is alone with Portgas'; and after hearing the extent of his injuries, Law expected to not see the teen again.

So, Trafalgar Law was disappointed.

Lifting the Transponder-Snail to his lips, Law let out a sigh; before speaking in a commanding tone. "So, tell me. How far away from Marineford are they now?"

"_They are about to board an island regioned five days away from Sabaody Archipelago, Captain._" The reply was instant, their voice emotionless.

Letting a small smirk creep onto his face, Law nodded; before looking out towards the ever-closer Rusukaina. "Very well." He replied swiftly, his eyes narrowing. "Keep a close eye on them, and report anything suspicious back to me _instantly._"

"_Affirmative_."

Clicking down the Transponder-Snail with another sigh, Law yawned.

-He _was _disappointed. But that didn't mean he would easily accept that. He would never accept for Straw-hat escape and disappear like that.

Especially when both the brother's lives depended on it.

* * *

**OKAY. **

**So hopefully things will start picking up in the next chapter, because I have had an amazing idea on where this is going. And just so you don't rant about it, YES. The first scene was important ;D. And No. You're not supposed to know what they're talking about.  
**

**THIS CHAPTER IS SUPPOSED TO BE CONFUSING. Kay? Glad we got that out xD.**

**And this chapter hasn't been proof-read. I'll edit the mistakes (if there are any) later. I AM TOO TIRED PEOPLE QoQ.**

**Anyways. HERE ARE THE REPLIES TO THE REVIEWS:  
**

**-Guest: I know xD. It was my mistake, and I have fixed it. Thanks for telling me though!**

**-Ireadtomuch: Yup. Ace is pissed with the name. QoQ, I have updated! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**-Magic Morgana: I have fixed that! xD Sorry, I made that mistake once before aswell. And about the actual bounty. I wanted to give Luffy a higher bounty, (_I did_) but giving him more than a 150,000,000 raise _instantly _would be a bit un-realistic. The Marine's don't _totally _want to seem desperate, because they have a stupid pride. And also, remember that Ace has been a pirate for longer. Luffy's a rookie _still_, even with all the threatening things he's done to the Government. That's why I have given them both _just _ a raise of 150,000,00. If it was higher, it would make the Marine's appear more weak. I hope that'll make more sense for you :'3 Thanks for your opinion though!**

**-Vi-Violence: Yup QoQ. Sadly. **

**-Blueh: Thanks!-And no worries. I kinda forget to review on stuff I've read sometimes (aka. alot). HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER!-It's kinda late. A little. Oops. And thanks!-x2. I'm glad someone agrees with me on the bounties! **

**-Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Yep, I know QoQ. I have fixed that though! xD-Nope. It was my mistake. I have updated!-I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**-LaLunaLight: I added 150,000,000 to Luffy's. Remember, Luffy's bounty was 300,000,000 beforehand. I think. o3o xD. I might totally be wrong. And yep! I have a new chapter!-I hope you enjoyed it!**

**-Nugni: Thanks, and you and be both. I still haven't decided on whether this is an AceLu story, sorry o3o. If you and others _really _wanted it to be, I could make it possible. But until then, it's undecided. You 'gotta love the two morons xD. And you must be a time-traveler 'cause yes. Luffy is injured. As you probably saw in this chapter. I hope you liked it and thanks for the review!**

**-xxXXxx: Sorry! xD. I think you'll like the ending of this chapter then ;D. But thanks!-I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**-rain-drop: Awh QoQ. I like Portgas better, but I see what you mean. It does have a nice ring xD. Mauaha ;D-You'll just have ta' find out. Thanks for your review!**

**-sisilly: Thanks!-and here's your next chapter!**

**-sisimiura: xD. I'm glad it did!**

**-ichigo1508: Thanks!-I'm glad you enjoyed it! **

**-Guest 2: "Or maybe just party" xD. That made me laugh so much. I totally think Oda should have done that-_Make _them just party for two years xD. Thanks for your suggestions! *Q* Sadly I already have the next bit's planned out, but it's always great to hear what you guys think as well! Thanks for your review!**

***collapses* So, I haven't got much to say on this chapter, other than you should be worried for Luffy. **

******A _huge _thanks!-to all the people reading and reviewing this!. Also, a thanks if you have favorited this, 'cause I am unable to tell because I don't get emails anymore. (FANFICTION SORT YOURSELF OUT B[.) I_ should_ be back by the end of May/Beginning of June. **

******So, that's all folks ;3**

**-aslMeno**

**(P.S I like Senny. Nuff said :'3)**


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